chat7a شطحة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“chat7a” (شطحة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning dance, spell of dancing.
Meanings
- dance, spell of dancing
- party, letting off steam
Usage
Chat7a comes from the verb chta7 (to dance) and refers to a dance or a moment of dancing, especially at parties and weddings: 3malna chat7a (we had a dance). By extension, the word evokes a festive atmosphere or a moment of letting loose. It belongs to a familiar, warm register. The plural chat7at is also used to talk about ways of dancing. The verb chta7 is the usual word for "to dance"; ra9s belongs more to standard Arabic.
Example
في العرس عملنا شطحة حتى الصباح.
fel 3ors 3malna chat7a 7atta sbe7.
“At the wedding, we danced until morning.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “chat7a” but also “chta7a”, “shat7a”, “chate7a” and “chat7aa”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.